The West Loop: One of the Most Impressive Instances of an “Edge City” Has Risen Along the West Loop

The West Loop: One of the most impressive instances of an “edge city” has risen along the West Loop. This view looks north along the West Loop with the Southwest Freeway interchange in the foreground. (Photo: September 2002) The Loops In his 1992 book, Edge City: Life on the New Frontier, Joel Garreau documents the rise of new urban centers on the fringes of the nation’s cities. These edge cities included not only the traditional elements of suburbia—homes and shopping malls—but also the means of creating wealth—jobs. Garreau identifies 123 edge cities around the nation but makes no effort to rate or rank them by any criteria. After all, the edge city is a somewhat amorphous entity, evolving to meet the needs of the new information economy. But Gar- reau leaves us with a few hints that perhaps there is one edge city that towers over all the rest, both literally and figuratively, an edge city that stuns the sense of sight by the immense scale of its signature structure. That edge city is the Uptown Houston district located on the West Loop. Just off the West Loop is the 64-floor, 899-foot-tall (274 m) Williams Tower, an architecturally distinctive structure that is made even more striking by its dominating presence over an otherwise impressive landscape of mid-rise office towers. It was the loop freeway, of course, that propelled Uptown Houston to become one of the most impressive edge cities in the United States. The circumferential freeway bypass has become a standard fixture in the freeway sys- tems of many cities, both in the United States and Europe. But Houston wouldn’t settle for just one loop, or even two. By 1965 plans were in the works for three major circumferential loops around Houston, and if the freeway miniloop enclosing downtown is included, there are actually four. Houston is the ultimate implementation of the loop and radial freeway system, with a nearly complete second loop in 2003 and the wheels in motion for the construction of the third loop. Perhaps only two other major cities in the United States, Dallas and San Antonio, hold out any hope of fully completing second freeway loops around their cities. If in fact Houston’s third loop, the Grand Parkway, is completed as planned, Houston will be in a class by itself. Almost surely, no other city will ever be able to achieve Houston’s loop freeway accomplishment. The West Loop parking lot: The West Loop is one of Houston’s most congested freeways. This view looks north toward Memorial Park. (Photo: James Lyle, TTI, June 2001) The Loop, Interstate 610 Loop 610 is more than just a freeway. It has come to define a lifestyle and state of mind, not just a geographic section of the city. The “inner looper” is more of an urban person, someone who likes to be close to the arts, universities, events, parks, and entertainment. Many inner loopers seek out the variety, disorder, and nonconformity of Houston’s older neighborhoods. Others seek out some of Houston’s most affluent and exclusive neighborhoods. The inner looper often lives close-in as a means of avoiding freeways. More than any other geographic group in Houston, the inner looper is likely to be anti-freeway. While it serves as an informal boundary between central Houston and the rest of the city, Loop 610 is also a vital transportation artery—the most important freeway in the function- ing of Houston’s loop and radial system. As the focus point for much of the congestion on Houston’s freeway system, the West Loop is also the biggest source of dysfunction. The loop ties together many seemingly disparate sections of Houston: edge cities, neighborhoods from the exclusive to the decayed, parks, stadiums, and industry. Along its path, the loop offers an abundance of interchanges, the ship channel bridge, and some impressive freeway sections. Origins The need for a bypass loop around Houston was first Loop 610 identified as early as 1931, when Harris County officials Previous designation Loop 137 were proposing bypass routes to divert traffic from the city Designated as freeway 1954 (north, west, south) center. The early concept proposed using existing streets 1960 (east) for the bypass. No progress was made during the 1930s, but efforts to build a loop came back to life in September First freeway section open 1952 (La Porte cutoff) 1940 when the Houston Chamber of Commerce Highway 1960 (Loop 610) Committee formed a special subcommittee to study po- Freeway complete September 22, 1975 tential bypass alignments. Various benefits were cited, Reconstruction Intermittent since 1975 including reduction of traffic inside the city, reduction of Max traffic volume, 2001 290,000 vehicles per day accidents, and diversion of trucks, but the possible need Future construction Reconstruction of West for national defense deployments would quickly become Loop (underway in 2003) the driving factor in moving plans for the loop forward.1 In March 1941 the first report recommending a bypass loop around Houston was issued. Preliminary Study for a Spanish Trail, and Wayside. On May 3, 1941, a $5.4 mil- Primary Defense Need of Houston and Vicinity—A Bypass lion Harris County bond issue allocating $1,028,354 for or Loop Thoroughfare, published by the Houston City the Defense Loop was approved by Harris County voters Planning Commission, explained how military officials with 71% of the vote.2 had contemplated the logistics of large troop movements The bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, through Houston to protect the Houston Ship Channel and increased the urgency of constructing the Defense Loop. its associated industries. Initially authorities had planned On June 23, 1942, the Texas Transportation Commission to block off city streets to move military convoys through formally adopted the north section of the Loop from IH the heart of the city. However, it quickly became clear 10 West (then US 90) on the west side of Houston to IH that this would be very disruptive, and by April 1941 the 10 East (then SH 73) on the east side Houston, calling it Houston Chronicle was reporting that “military authori- the “Loop on US 90.” An agreement approved on Novem- ties have all but demanded the construction of a belt high- ber 16, 1943, called for the city of Houston to provide a way.” The study also included a map that indicated the key 150-foot (46 m) corridor for the highway. The loop was “war industries” around Houston, such as Dow Chemical designated as Loop 137. However, real progress on a true in Freeport, Houston Ship Building Corporation along the freeway loop would have to wait until after the war.3 ship channel, and Consolidated Steel in Beaumont. The contemplated route followed existing and planned arterial Putting the Freeway Loop on the Map streets around the city and was envisioned as a highway or As progress on the loop highway crept along in the large urban street rather than a freeway. The alignment of early 1950s, authorities were formulating a master plan the northern half of the proposed loop ultimately became for Houston’s freeway system which included a full free- the Loop 610 freeway. The southern half of the proposed way loop. In July 1953 a Houston delegation appeared loop followed the arterial streets Bellaire Boulevard, Old before the Texas Transportation Commission in Austin 276 Houston Freeways June 2005 Update: Modifications to the US 59 south (Southwest Freeway) interchange were completed in 2005. �� to request adoption of the proposed new freeway routes plan had evolved to the near-final version and included into the state highway system. The loop included in the Ellifrit’s route for the South Loop.5 plan followed the previously approved Loop 137 bypass A delegation of local officials appeared before the Tex- route on the north side of the city and showed the South as Transportation Commission on September 28, 1954, Loop following the alignment of Holmes Road (see map to request state adoption of the West Loop and South on page 13). The South Loop was informally called the Loop as freeways. In October 1954, the commission of- Holmes Road Freeway during this period. In late 1953 the ficially designated the West and South Loops into the state Texas Transportation Commission officially adopted the highway system and approved upgrading the previously spoke freeways requested by Houston officials but did not approved North Loop to a full freeway. With that desig- adopt the loop as a freeway.4

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